What about someone who is on HSPA+ (not LTE) on an iPhone 4S and has a 5GB plan with wifi hotspot/tethering. I find it completely ludicrous that I can tether another device to my iPhone, and do Facetime on the other device (and all kinds of other high bandwidth activities), but I can't do FaceTime over Cellular on my iPhone itself. AT&T needs to correct this soon; at least customers who pay extra for this should get FaceTime over cellular. Of course, everyone should get FaceTime over Cellular. Even the ones who are grandfathered in to unlimited -- they get throttled anyway. But it's a big slap in the face to those who have wifi hotspot/tethering especially.

i am no expert at cellular networks and data, however this whole "it's my data, i should be able to do whatever I want with it" is a bit bs.

LTE allows for more bandwidth and strictly is for data. 3G on the other hand handles both data and voice protocols.

For those FaceTiming on 3G, you add significant strain on the AT&T network. People forget that when 3G first rolled out (around 2005), the amount of traffic was next to none. Yes infrastructure has improved and evolved, but at the end of the day, it is about delivering and meeting the Quality of Service expectations. You must also look at the amount of smartphone traffic that the 3G networks now see...it is at levels probably not thinkable back when the networks were first rolled out.

So yes, moving FaceTime only to LTE is smart.

You are exactly right. People need to get past their "gimme" attitudes. If everyone had unlimited, they would all watch netflix streaming and the network would SUCK. When unlimited was offered, throughput was like 1MB or less. Not I can get 20-40MBs in the Tampa area on LTE AT&T. Most folks would cancel their broadband and tether there phone if it was unlimited data at that speed. The Telecoms can not handle that.

So wait, legitimate question: if I have a 3GS on the unlimited plan, can I roll over the unlimited plan to an iPhone 5? I thought you had to drop the unlimited because you're moving to 4G?

Make sure you buy the phone from Apple and not AT&T. If you go through AT&T's website, it makes you choose one of their new plans. Going through Apple gives you the option to change or you can keep what you have.

(This was my experience when buying my iphone. Other's may not have had that problem.)

According to this post it is coming to Unlimited plans too....
"The company said that within eight to 10 weeks, the video and voice calling app will be available to subscribers of older unlimited and tiered data plans. In September, AT&T said those customers of the new iPhone 5 or iOS6 wouldn’t have access to FaceTime. The company offered the app only for new Apple device customers who agreed to buy into shared data plans, in which the company bundles together data charges for multiple devices."

Offer someone an all-you-can-eat buffet for $10. Or an ounce of food for $2 each.

Offer spaghetti, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, steak and lobster.

Don't let the all-you-can-eaters choose steak or lobster.

That's what they're doing.

It's not them trying to make money that galls. It's the doublespeak and almost hostile attitude toward their paying customers. Which is why I use the buffet down the street. Die a slow, agonizing death, AT&T.

According to this post it is coming to Unlimited plans too....
"The company said that within eight to 10 weeks, the video and voice calling app will be available to subscribers of older unlimited and tiered data plans. In September, AT&T said those customers of the new iPhone 5 or iOS6 wouldn’t have access to FaceTime. The company offered the app only for new Apple device customers who agreed to buy into shared data plans, in which the company bundles together data charges for multiple devices."

It works for me now! I just did a facetime on LTE on my iPhone 5 with the 2GB plan.

I just tried it on my tiered 4gb plan and it works for me too. what happened to weeks? (not that I'm complaining) I actually use facetime with someone I am seeing that lives in London so this is great!!

nevermind, I forget to turn on facetime over cellular, got the obnoxious message to call.

We will continue to gather and assess the network data on this issue over the next few months and anticipate that we will be able to expand the availability of FaceTime to our customers on other billing plans in the near future.

, it doesn't mean that they actually plan to incorporate unlimited plans.

OK, I really don't care about face time but you would think AT&T would find away not to punish those with an unlimited plan, which is really not unlimited because they will throtal you and exclude you from features that they offer others. If you have an unlimited plan it means you have been with AT&T for awhile and should be considered a valuable/loyal customer.

Is that what they are doing? In the press release it says it is limited to "LTE devices," it does not say anything about the network. It would be nice if the limitation was only to the device since AT&T's LTE coverage isn't going to be complete til 2014.